Obama signs the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
The president slipped this in on New Year’s Day while he vacationed in Hawaii.
It allows anyone — including U.S. citizens — to be arrested as “a threat” and detained indefinitely, without trial.
Obama signs NDAA into law; dismantles Bill of Rights
US President Barack Obama signs controversial NDAA into law
Obama Signs National Defense Authorization Act into law
In 2009-2010, the Consequence Management Response Force (CMRF), is established
It is created to help during National disasters, but also to “help with civil unrest and crowd control.” In 2010, the CMRF consisted of 80,000 soldiers. The CMRF has access to standard weapons, as well as tanks and “a package of nonlethal weapons.” The soldiers may use these weapons if so ordered by the Secretary of Defense — who answers to the President — who now has the authority to arrest and detain indefinitely (without trial) any citizen deemed “a threat.”
MG Jeffrey A. Jacobs wrote an explanation of the CMRF, in an attempt to assuage public concern. His letter appeared in Army magazine in 2009. However, his explanation raises concern. I’ve included a few excerpts here.
The Internet sprang to life with dire warnings of armed soldiers in full combat gear routinely patrolling our nation’s streets. Alarmist predictions ran wild: Steely-eyed infantrymen, just off the plane from Iraq and Afghanistan, not only would be enforcing domestic law but would slide rapidly down the slippery slope to the oppression of American citizens at the behest of an unchecked executive branch of government…
The role of the federal military in DSCA is carefully defined and deliberately circumscribed by the Constitution, statutes and policy. As many have noted, one of the laws that limits the role of the federal military is the Posse Comitatus Act.
Posse Comitatus prohibits Title 10 forces (that is, the federal military, as distinguished from the National Guard in a state status-Title 10 of the U.S. Code is the title that governs the armed forces) from enforcing state or federal laws, except as otherwise authorized by law. Title 10 forces may not make arrests, stop and frisk suspects, conduct searches and seizures, or perform domestic surveillance. The statutory prohibition on the use of the armed forces to enforce the law, however, does not mean that the military cannot engage with and support civilian law-enforcement agencies.
As many also have noted, the Insurrection Act is an exception to Posse Comitatus. The Insurrection Act allows the President to use federal armed forces to enforce the law in three instances: at the request of a state legislature or, if the legislature is not in session, a governor; either to enforce federal law or when a rebellion or unlawful “assemblage” precludes enforcement of the law through judicial proceedings; and to suppress “any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy” if a state fails to protect the constitutional rights of its citizens. Actions taken under the Insurrection Act do not constitute martial law. Martial law is far more sweeping, and the President may impose martial law only in circumstances more extreme than those required to invoke the Insurrection Act.
As in any DSCA operation, the objective of CCMRF is to save lives, relieve suffering and mitigate damage. CCMRF is not a police force. It is not organized, manned, trained or equipped to perform law-enforcement missions. In fact, CCMRF soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, like all Title 10 forces performing DSCA operations, are prohibited by DoD policy even from carrying weapons without the express approval of the Secretary of Defense.
The Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) is now being prepared in Congress.
This law would effectively eliminate all social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. by holding companies liable for everything their users post. It also has the potential to shut down most blogs, since posting shared content or including quotes and excerpts could be viewed as copyright infringement. By eliminating social networks or other sites that allow large groups of people to exchange information, the government could radically hamper the formation and function of community action groups such as Occupy Wallstreet.
SOPA will also give the Attorney General control over the internet’s infrastructure. The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the country and “gives advice and opinions to the president and to other heads of executive departments as requested. In cases of exceptional gravity or special importance, the attorney general may appear in person before the U.S. Supreme Court to represent the interests of the government. ” (answers.com)
What you need to know about SOPA in 2012
Blacklisting provisions remain in Stop Online Piracy Act
Stop Online Piracy Act Vote Delayed
A Quick Introduction to the Stop Online Piracy Act
SOPA – the Stop Online Piracy Act – Is It Really Dangerous?
